Officials Urge Residents To Dispose Of Christmas Trees

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Anne Arundel County officials are asking residents to dispose of their Christmas trees following a year marked by house fires.

County fire chief Allan Graves tells the Capital Gazette Christmas trees dry out as they age and pose a fire hazard. He recommends disposing of the trees within a month of purchase.

County Executive Steve Schuh says not properly disposing of trees can have tragic consequences.

In Jan. 2015, a leftover Christmas tree started a fire at an Annapolis mansion, killing four children and their grandparents. In December, an electrical malfunction set an artificial Christmas tree ablaze at a yacht club, causing more than $9 million in damage.

Graves recommends taking real trees out to the curb, where they can be collected by recycling crews.

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